James s



(No Model.)

J. S. ROBINSON.

TREADLE ATTACHMENT. No. 362,539. Patented May 10, 188'7.

E e l M D H I I I HH \HHI IMHHH/ v I Ill J I l I I I l l l |.l II 1 MI I I. ll a L llllllllll 1 IT e N. rnzas. mwuxm n her, washinglnn, n. c,

W MW UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

i JAMES S. ROBINSON, OF JAMESTOVVN, NEW YORK.

'TREADLE ATTACHMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 362,539, dated May 10, 1887.

Application filed June 30, 1886. Serial No. 206,710. (No model.)

: art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention consists in certain improvements in treadles for various purposes,partlcularly fororgans, sewing-machines, &c., and

r treadles for operating the pedals of pianos, as

will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, as follows:

Figure l is a side elevation of my device in position to operate the pedals of a piano. Fig. 2 is a top view of the parts as shown in Fig. 1.

A A are the outer ends of the pedal-levers of a piano, no other part of the instrument being shown.

B is a platform which supports treadles O, which rest on the said pedal-levers.

In organs or other instruments or machines which are operated by a treadle the part B will be omitted, the part 0 being the treadle in 5 mounted on a platform, B, as shown, for operating upon the pedal of a piano, and hence no further illustration is required than that given in Figs. 1 and 2. It will therefore be understood that the parts mounted on the 0 treadle O constitute the essential features of my device, while the remaining parts are simply for the adaptation of those features to a special useviz., the operation of a piano-pedal.

The construction is as follows: On each of 5 the treadles 0 there is a foot-board, D D, of

which D is adjustable vertically, while D is fixed to the treadle; but, if desired, this footboard may be in one piece and made adj ustable the same as D is. The reason for not making the whole foot-board adjustable is that when it is raised up it is carried forward and may interfere with other parts of the machine,

and as it is only raised up for the use of a small person, who would of course have a short foot, there is necessity for only a part of the foot board being made adjustable.

It is essential, or at least desirable, that the foot-board D when raised be kept parallel with the treadle O.

The adjustable part of the foot board D is pivoted, near its heel atf, to a link, F, which is also pivoted to thetreadle near its toe at f On each side of the treadle, near its toe, is a bracket, E, with ratchet notches c and there is a pawl-pin, d, on each side of the adjustable foot-board D, near its toe. The foot-board D is shown in two positions-viz., in an elevated position in full lines and down on the treadle by dotted lines-and it is easily understood how it is operated to be adjusted in any position desired.

have more or less incline, as may be desired.

The link F, as shown, is made of wire bent into a parallelogram form, as will be seen by observing the dotted lines in Fig. 2, and it sets in grooves in the parts to which it is pivoted, and is held there by small staples f,- but of course this construction can be easily varied.

Where the device is to be used to operate a piano-pedal the treadle C is hinged to a platform, B, and this will set with its forward end under the pedals, and the treadles G will lie on top of the pedal, as seen in Fig. 1, A being the pedal. The under side of treadle where it rests on the pedal should be covered with a soft material-such as leather or felt-as at c in Fig. 1.

In order that the device maybe easily placed in position to operate the pedals, I provide a spring, a, to keep the treadles elevated to a proper angle, and an adjusting-screw, working up from below against the heel of the treadle, is provided to set the treadle at such an angle as will bring it upon the pedal when the device is pushed up to the pedals.

I am aware that treadles have been made having a foot-board hinged to the same at the heel, and means for elevating and supporting the 'toe thereof for the purpose of adjusting the same to people of various heights; but such a construction is defective in that the whole adjustable foot-board cannot be raised bodily and supported above the treadle parallel with the same or set at any pitch desired to be operated by the foot in a natural and comfortable position.

What I claim as new is- 1. The combination, with a treadle, of a verticallyunovable loot-board, a pivoted support connecting said foot-board with the treadle, so as to sustain one end of the same at various distances from the treadle, and a ratcheted bracket for supporting the other end of said foot-board, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with a t-readle, of the foot-board D, the link F, pawl-pins d, and brackets E, constructed and arranged substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. The combination, with a trcadle, of the foot'board D, link F, pawl-pins d, and rateheted bracket E, having pivot e, slot 6', and binding-screw e", substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, with the treadles G G, of the platform B, to which said treadles are hinged, and vertically-adjustable foot-boards mounted on said treadle, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, with the treadles O O, of the platform 13, to which said treadles are hinged, and the movable foot-boards D D, mounted on said treadles and supported by the links F F, and brackets E E, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination, with the treadle O, of the platform B, hinge 0, connecting said platform and treadle, the spring 0 supporting said treadle at an incline to said platform, the adjusting-screw a", for regulating said incline, the movable footboard on said treadle, the link F, and bracket E, for supporting said footboard at various heightsabovesaid tread lc.

7. The combination, with a treadle, ofa foot board thereon, formed of two parts, I) and D, of which the part D is adjustable to various heights above the treadle, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

J. S. ROBINSON.

Witnesses:

Ron'r. H. PORTER, H. L. REYNOLDS. 

